Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-17
prxEs.pEAx LIsarsIse.
How . signal Observer msd His
Yfnger.Tips Aname II sn
Electrical storm.

Eleeeroeos bt0rss
A Globe Democrat Correspondent
writes from Philadelphia, under date
of August 18th: Sergeant Luther NJ.
Dey. now in the signal service IN Phila-
delphia, spent year for the Govern
msnt at Pixies Peak. His experiences
there must be as interesting to scien-
lists as to the general public. for they
are unlike any ever published about
that monarch OF American mountains.
81 was in the signal.service house
on the summit when lightning tele-
oraphed itself up the mountain and
struck the building" he said recently.
1.-The wire was grounded five feet
from the west wall. The bolt ploughed
a furrow from the end of the wire to
the stone wall two feet thick, and tore
out of it o hole eighteen inches square.
Then it flashed around the room,
melted and ruined some Of our instru-
ments. and went out Of the east win
dow. The cir seemed full OF electricity
at the time, but not one OF US was
injured.
;" Not long afterwards saw the most
wonderful electricsl-storm / have ever
heard of. The atmosphere had appear
ed loaded with electricity all one after
noon. There was singing sound in
the air, as if the whole universe was
great hive OF bees. When the sun
went down / saw a thousand Jets OF
electric fame rising from the wire
down the mountain. | went outdoors.
NV hair rose up. My moustache poked
into nv rose. took my hands from
my pockets and electric flames two
inches long started from each finger
tin. When | held them down the flames
disappeared. 1 walked up and down
with my hands in the air, as excited a.
| a child. When / came under the tele-
Graph wire the flames went out where
/ was and disappeared before and be-
hind me. This storm lasted half an
hour"
But from Sergeant Dey's talk there
are real dangers on the mountain.
Once in winter time he descended the
great crater, for Pixies Peak is an ex-
tinct volcano. Half way down the side
of the crater he slipped, and in mo-
ment shot several hundred feet along
the slippery surface of loose snow,
saving himself by catching on a boul-
der. The snow was very deep, and
far down the mountain he saw the
tracks of mountain lions. After hours
of awful suffering and struggling in
snow-banks he reached the trail and
got back to the station.
1.-The house aswalls two feet thick,
continued Sergeant Dey. "There are
several rooms-one for instruments,
one for sleeping, and two used for
store room and kitchen respectively.
| The roof is anchored by great cables to
brace it against the wind, which is ter
rible, sometimes blowing 100 miles an
hour. Six months provisions and SIX
months supply of wood are taken uI
every fall from timber-line. The peak
is ten miles from Manitou and seven
teen from Colorado Springs"
But" said the Sergeant, lighting
bis pipe again. "the view from the sta
ton was magnificent. We could sec
the smoke Of Denver, the City OF Pue
bio, and the trains on the plains twenty
miles away very clearly. We could SEE
in Old Mexico the Spanish peaks
capped with snow, and glistening hk'
knights in armor, 100 miles away
More than q dozen times We hay'
locked far, far down below us at thun
der-etorms raging in a sea OF blaci
clouds.
"Let me tell you word OF poo
Captain Crevin. He was a friend o
General Hazen. and came West for hi
health. He was Manxman, and OF
the peak in the Government service
The doctors say he died of boil in th'
lungs, a very rare disease. Life on th'
peak is lonely. There are few bird
and animals. Bears are seen occasion
ally, and yultures, and the miserable
phastly-looking Rocky mountain mag
pies and tbrushes. 1t SHOWS ever,
month in the year. Once in awhile
royal eagle scars over the range. Th
atmosphere is so rare up there that tn
men Of the signal Office have to spen'
one month on the summit, IL, 100 fee
above the sea, and then one montl
1000 feet lower, at Colorado Springs.
Pixies Peak is the highest mountain
in the world on which civilized mel
live all the year round.